Baseball | December 18

DeKALB, IL - The Northern Illinois University baseball program released its 2025 schedule on Wednesday. The Huskies will play 17 home games at Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt & Janice Owens Park, starting with a home Mid-American Conference series against Central Michigan March 21-23.

"I am excited about this season's schedule," said head coach Ryan Copeland, who enters his second season in the NIU dugout. "We begin the year with five consecutive weekends on the road, which is always challenging but that's the reality of college baseball in this part of the country. Our first two series feature opponents that made the NCAA Tournament last year, followed by a trip downstate to face another talented Ohio Valley Conference program. We will always look to play quality opponents early in the season to help us prepare for conference play."

The Huskies will open the 2025 campaign with three games at Nicholls Feb. 14-16. The Colonels were 38-22 last season, winning the Southland Conference tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. NIU then heads to Southeast Missouri State for four games Feb. 21-23. The RedHawks won the OVC Tournament in 2024 and won 36 games, reaching the Fayetteville Regional championship game.

NIU will go down to SIUE for the first time in seven years Feb. 28-March 2 for a four-game series against the Cougars before opening MAC play at Kent State March 7-9. The Huskies close their season-opening 17-game road swing with a three-game series at Miami March 14-16.

NIU's first home series of the season is against Central Michigan March 21-23. The Huskies took two out of three games in Mount Pleasant, Mich. last season. On March 26 UIC comes to Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt & Janice Owens Park for the first of a home-and-home against the Flames. UIC won 35 games a year ago and will host NIU on April 9. NIU will also play Eastern Illinois and Illinois State in midweek home-and-home series this season.

After a trip to Butler March 28-30 NIU will host Ohio April 4-6. The Huskies opened MAC play by taking two out of three games at Ohio last season. NIU heads to Ball State April 11-13 before a midweek contest at Northwestern on April 15. The Huskies won in Evanston 17-8 last season for NIU's first win over a Big Ten program since 2017.

NIU returns home to host Akron April 18-29 and defending MAC Tournament champions Western Michigan April 25-26. Between those two series NIU goes on the road for midweek games at Valparaiso on April 22 and Illinois State on April 23. The Huskies' final homestand of the regular season starts on May 6 against Illinois State, followed by a three-game series against Toledo May 9-11. NIU closed the regular season at Bowling Green May 15-17. The Falcons won the MAC regular season title in 2024 and won 33 games.

The Huskies finished the 2024 season with a record of 21-33, an 11-win improvement from the previous year with a nine-win improvement in MAC play at 14-16.

—NIU—